Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

California Hospital News Roundup for the Week of February 21, 2014

California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco

Last week, the National Labor Relations Board upheld a vote by registered nurses at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco to join the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, the Sacramento Business Journalreports (Rauber, Sacramento Business Journal, 2/14).

NLRB resolved several outstanding challenged ballots in the vote, which originally occurred in December 2013. CPMC's 800 registered nurses now join the union. CNA now represents 8,000 RNs at 14 Sutter hospitals and a total of 85,000 RNs in California (NNU release, 2/14).

Dignity Health

Dignity Health officials have announced that Saint Francis Memorial Hospital CEO Tom Hennessy has stepped down from his role in order to "spend more time with his family," the San Francisco Business Times' "Bay Area BizTalk" reports.

Dignity Health appointed Hennessy as CEO of the hospital in July 2007 (Rauber, "Bay Area BizTalk," San Francisco Business Times, 2/18).

El Camino Hospital, Santa Clara

El Camino Hospital, the PulsePoint Foundation and nine fire departments within Santa Clara County announced a partnership to give county residents access to a mobile application that helps first responders assist people suffering from sudden cardiac arrest, the Journal of Emergency Medical Servicesreports.

The app notifies CPR-trained individuals when someone in their near vicinity requires CPR assistance and directs users to the nearest publicly accessible Automated External Defibrillator. The app also is integrated into the county's 911 system and calls for emergency services to be dispatched (Journal of Emergency Medical Services, 2/19).

Marina Del Ray Hospital

University of California

Last week, the University of California's 8,300 service workers voted to authorize a strike and more than 13,000 patient care technical workers at the university voted to authorize a sympathy strike, according to a release from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

AFSCME Local 3299 represents both groups and has been negotiating for over a year to secure a contract on behalf of UC service workers, who are the lowest-paid career employees at the university. The union said wage increases and staffing levels remain points of contention (AFSCME release, 2/14).